Holocaust survivors call on Farage to apologise for alleged racist abuse

A group of Holocaust survivors have called on Nigel Farage to apologise over allegations of racism and antisemitism during his school days.

The Reform UK leader has faced claims about his behaviour while he was a pupil at Dulwich College, a top private school in south London.

Mr Farage denied at a press conference on Thursday that he ever made racist remarks in a “malicious or nasty way”.

He has previously said of the claims that what could have been considered “banter in a playground” could be interpreted in “the modern light of day in some sort of way”.

The 11 signatories, some of whom have survived death camps, write that they “understand the danger of hateful words” and call on the Clacton MP to admit whether he said them or if he is accusing those who say he did of lying.

They write: “Let us be clear: praising Hitler, mocking gas chambers, or hurling racist abuse is not banter. Not in a playground. Not anywhere.”

They add that “honesty, reflection and commitment to truth” is the responsible response when it comes to allegations about “invoking Nazi attitudes” towards Jewish children.

“So we ask you: Did you say ‘Hitler was right’ and ‘gas them’, mimicking gas chambers? Did you subject your classmates to antisemitic abuse?

“If you deny saying those words, are you saying that 20 former classmates and teachers are lying? If you did say them, now is the time to acknowledge you were wrong, and apologise.”

Mr Farage’s former classmate Peter Ettedgui is among those who have accused the politician of making racist remarks to him during their school days.

Mr Ettedgui, who is Jewish, has claimed that Mr Farage “repeatedly” approached him and said “Hitler was right”, while they were pupils at the school.

“Those who hope to lead our country should never divide people by race or religion. Antisemitic hatred must never be normalised.”

The Holocaust survivors who signed the letter include Hedi Argent, who fled Austria and lost 27 members of her family, and Simon Winston, who was held in a ghetto in the German-occupied Soviet Union.

Mr Farage on Thursday sought to suggest journalists from broadcasters asking questions about the allegations were displaying double standards, because their outlets had in the past aired programmes which would now be considered racist.

Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer has called the Reform UK leader a “toxic, divisive disgrace” over claims he made that one in three schoolchildren in Glasgow do not speak English as their first language and referring to this as the “cultural smashing of Glasgow”.

Scottish First Minister John Swinney said the comments were “simply racist”.